GOP watch: Making a list...

The New York Times: "A group of conservative Republican leaders is proposing a solution to the internecine warfare over what the party should stand for: a 10-point checklist gauging proper adherence to core principles like opposing government financing for abortion and, more generally, President Obama's 'socialist agenda.' In what was being dubbed a purity test when it leaked out to reporters on Monday, the proposal would require the party to withhold campaign money and endorsements from candidates who do not adhere to at least seven principles on the checklist."

The hits keep on coming for Mark Sanford… "Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina will face formal ethics charges on 37 counts of using his office for personal financial gain, according to a list of accusations issued Monday by the State Ethics Commission," the New York Times also reports. "The charges include spending state money on business-class plane tickets, instead of flying coach; using state aircraft to attend political and personal events, like the birthday party of a campaign donor; and using his campaign fund for noncampaign expenses, like a ticket to President Obama's inauguration."

More: "A separate impeachment resolution has been filed in the Legislature, but the ethics panel and the legislative action so far deal with different accusations. The ethics panel reviewed accusations of misuse of public resources; the impeachment resolution deals with Mr. Sanford's secret trip to Argentina in June to visit a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair."

Michele Bachmann in an interview with the St. Cloud Times: "My husband and I both worked on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign. The first time I ever came to Washington was to dance at Walter Mondale's inaugural ball. It was a thrill for my husband and me, and we were both happy to work on behalf of Walter Mondale and Jimmy Carter. We really believed in them when we were in college. So in some ways I don't understand why the Democratic Party would be opposed to me, because I stand for the same values that my parents stood for when we were Democrats."

Palin's book tour rolled into Fort Bragg. "The Department of Defense typically prohibits politicians from using installations as a platform, so Palin didn't give a speech and simply thanked soldiers individually," the New York Daily News writes. "She was allowed to hold the event as a private citizen who was not campaigning, a Fort Bragg spokesman said… Col. Billy Buckner, a spokesman for Fort Bragg, said the Army agreed to let Palin on post because she was no longer a politician. 'She fell into a little bit of a gray area," he said. "She's not a political figure per se, but she certainly carries a tremendous amount of interest and influence across the country.'"